Webster’s Dictionary defines evangelism as “the winning or revival of personal commitments to Christ…”
There is much debate on what evangelism, revival and outreach should look like; should it be only revival meetings or is it only free car washes, knocking on doors, passing out free bottles of water? A/G Evangelist Dominic Galati said it best recently; “it’s not either or, it’s both!”
Bill McLeod, the pastor in whose church the great Canadian revival was birthed, stated, “… remember this: In times of evangelism, evangelists seek sinners (which is right to do); but in times of revival, sinners seek the Lord!” When God comes in revival, people will come in earnest to the Reviver! Again, it’s not either or, it’s both!
We trace out spiritual roots back to the great Azuza Street outpouring that took place 100 years ago this very year. What distinguished that move, according to history, is the meetings were marked by long periods of prayer, waiting on God, and moving only as the Holy Spirit prompted them. I realize our time together on Sundays is limited. Much must be done to conduct the business of our local churches. But when we get hungry again for God to move in our midst, and we get hungry to reach a lost and dying generation with the Love of our Father, The Holy Spirit will come and produce among us a true revival that will spark an evangelism movement this nation has yet to see! And it is already beginning to taking place!
Critics love to point out the excesses and the faults that come to the surface when God begins to move in a local church or a city; but when genuinely begins to move by His Holy Spirit, the fruit is the changed lives that come from that move.
I get tickled when I see and hear folks who line up and criticize everything. All I can hear is the Apostle Paul declare “all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God…” Or, as Job told his three friends, “you are the men and wisdom will die with you!” Solomon said man at his best state is still all together vanity. So no matter how good you are, how holy your are, no matter how righteous you think you are, on your best day, you still come up short! That’s why we need the Power of the Holy Spirit!
My hearts cry is that God will move in such a supernatural way, Jesus’ prayer in John 17 that we may be one even as He and the Father are one will soon come to reality, and not just a good preaching point!
Oh Lord, revive us again!
Technorati Tags: revival, evangelism, outreach, Christianity
Good Word!
David - How are your services setup? I find that you can’t have that type service if you want to be invited to preach again. For me it has been more helpful to keep the first 2/3 of the service pretty standard then let the last third go as long as we possibly can.
I heard a man use the phrase, “If you are done before I am, the same door that let you in will let you out.”
Kind of like that.
God moves in different ways in different places..if I am in a “traditional place”, I preach give an altar call and always let the pastor kind of lead from there…most of the time the Holy Ghost takes over and when people are through they leave!
We are beginning our third week in Samson Alabama…here the pastor is an Apostle who has created a hunger in his church for a move of the Spirit.In the last two weeks it has been almost 10:00pm before we leave because people are so hungry for what God is doing, they don’t want to leave. Last night there was such a Holiness that hovered over the service, no on knew what to do…so we of all things had a prayer line and people were greatly touched by the Lord!
I said all that to say this: you have to be very sensitive to the Lord because He will move: but we have to be flexible enough to allow Him to move according to the personality of the church. Not every church is willing to allow extended meetings to take place…just go with God’s flow!